Music streaming giant Spotify has announced a major crackdown on fake or artificial streams, sending a clear warning to artists around the globe: engaging in or benefiting from fraudulent streaming practices will result in lost earnings and potential penalties.
Artificial streaming, where bots or click farms inflate play counts, has become a growing concern in the music industry. While some artists knowingly use these services, many fall victim without realizing that what they believed to be legitimate promotion is actually a scam.
“To be crystal clear: you can’t buy your way onto a playlist,” said Bryan Johnson, Spotify’s Head of Artist & Industry Partnerships, International, during a recent Spotify for Artists Masterclass. “Any service charging you money to get on a Spotify playlist, including non-editorial ones, is a scam. They may claim to promote your music through Spotify ads, but in reality, they use bots to inflate stream counts.”
Johnson emphasized that these fake streams not only damage artists’ reputations but also threaten their income. Labels and distributors linked to artificial streaming will face charges per track, costs that could ultimately fall on the artists themselves.
Spotify is investing heavily in advanced technology and resources to detect and swiftly act against these fraudulent activities worldwide. “This is something we take seriously at every level, all around the world. And our efforts are working,” Johnson added.
Supporting Spotify’s stance, Andreea Gleeson, CEO of distribution platform TuneCore, highlighted the importance of protecting the music ecosystem. “It’s very important that we protect the ecosystem so that artists with legitimate listeners benefit from their hard work,” she said. Gleeson also noted the growing collaboration among platforms, distributors, and labels through the Music Fights Fraud Alliance, which works to detect and prevent streaming fraud.
David Martin, CEO of the Featured Artists Coalition, warned artists to be cautious of social media offers promising guaranteed streams or playlist placements. “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Always do your research,” he advised.
According to Spotify’s 2024 Loud & Clear report, Nigerian artists earned over N58 billion in royalties last year, more than double the amount from 2023. The number of Nigerian artists earning at least N10 million in royalties has also more than doubled since 2023.
